A Break Down of UNC’s Offensive Play in Charlotte Victory

Pro Football Focus released its graded breakdown of North Carolina’s 20-3 win over Charlotte.

Here's an explanation of how PFF's grading works: On every play, a PFF analyst will grade each player on a scale of -2 to +2, ranging from a pick-six to a late touchdown pass with expected plays graded as a 0. Each game is graded by two different analysts and any discrepancies are settled by a senior analyst. Grades are then normalized to account for game situation and converted to a 0-100 scale.

Here is a breakdown of the offense brought to you by PFF.

Overall Offensive Grades

30-39: Very Poor

40-49: Poor

50-59: Below Average

60-69: Average

70-79: Above Average

80-89: Good

90-100: Elite

Category	Grade
Offense	74.1
Passing	75.1
Rushing	78.5
Receiving	59.5
Pass Blocking	93.0
Run Blocking	65.1

Top Offensive Performers

QB Gio Lopez – 90.0 Offense, 75.1 Passing, 85.2 Running

After a rough debut in the season opener, Lopez finally showcased his elusiveness, but he started this game with a big play through the air.

Lopez connected on an RPO pass to Ben Hall for 11 yards, followed by a screen to Caleb Hood that went for 13. That set up a deep shot, where Lopez delivered a perfectly placed 51-yard touchdown strike to Chris Culliver.

The play-calling also gave Lopez more freedom in space, which allowed him to create magic, with designed rollouts and options to either throw or tuck the ball and run. It was a refreshing shift that allowed him to play to his strengths, rather than being forced to do something he isn’t comfortable doing.

Lopez finished the game going 17-for-25 with 155 yards and also had nine carries for 44 yards.

WR Chris Culliver – 83.4 Offense, 80.4 Receiving

UNC — Nov 30, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Chris Culliver (3) catches the ball as North Carolina State Wolfpack cornerback Tamarcus Cooley (15) defends in the fourth quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

After Jordan Shipp established himself as the go-to target, someone needed to emerge in the receiving room as the deep threat. The person who answered the call: Chris Culliver.

While Culliver’s game-breaking speed has long been known, he finally got to showcase it. His first catch of the game went for a 51-yard touchdown.t in perfect stride. He finished with three catches on four targets (75% catch rate) for 74 yards before leaving the game with an injury in the scond quarter.

OL Jakai Moore – 77.7 Offense, 82.0 Pass Block, 72.7 Run Block

After being in the rotation last week, he played 57 of his 59 snaps at right tackle and seems like that spot has been settled. He didn’t allow a sack and his run blocking grade improved from last week, going from 52.1 to a 72.7 PFF grade.

RB Davion Gause – 74.2 Offense, 73.5 Run

Gause ran for 30 yards on five carries and capped the first half with a 12-yard touchdown run in the final 12 seconds. He averaged 7.25 yards after contact and forced two missed tackles. Not bad with the limited carries throughout the game.

RB Demon June – 73.7 Offense, 73.7 Run

UNC — Sep 6, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Demon June (35) tries to avoid a tackle by Charlotte 49ers defensive back Gavin Shipman (4) during the second half at Jerry Richardson Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The true freshman made his debut and led the Tar Heels with nine carries for 52 yards, averaging 5.8 yards per attempt. June ripped off runs of 11, 16 and 19 yards, gained 29 yards after contact and broke three tackles — all team-highs this year.”

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